With today’s blog post, we will be concluding our October series on the connection between animals and mental health. In the first three blog pieces, we covered what information we know on this topic from abundant scientific research on companion animals and human happiness, what less abundant research has shown about wild animals and happiness, and how exploitation and bad animal welfare can cause unhappiness and stress. Now we are excited to conclude the mental health series with stories from the OneNature community about how animals, especially wildlife, had a positive impact on your mental health. To everyone who responded with a personal anecdote, we’d like to extend an enthusiastic tail-wag! (And by that we mean, “Thank you!”)
The first set of stories we are featuring is about the joy that companion animals provide us through comfort, fun, and friendship.
“I adopted my tuxedo cat Alaina when she was about a year old from Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. (Yes – despite the name, they have lucky cats too!) I was told ahead of time that she had recently given birth to a litter of kittens and all of them had already been adopted. It broke my heart to hear that her babies found homes before she did, even though she was so young and skinny that she still looked like a kitten herself. Obviously I signed the paperwork after our very first meeting and brought her home the next day. A few weeks later, a friend of mine died of an overdose. I was overcome with grief. I had never lost someone so close to me and so unexpectedly. Little Alaina, who was usually a ball of hyperactive energy, seemed to understand that I wasn’t okay. Whenever I needed a good cry, she just curled up in my lap and started purring. It was such a simple thing that helped me cope with a really difficult time. It’s been about four years since I adopted her. I still feel sad about my friend sometimes, but Alaina is always there to help me through it.” -Alison
“Back in college at the University of Georgia during finals week, which can obviously be a stressful time, the student government association would arrange for puppies and kittens to come from the Athens Humane Society to the student center on campus. There was an open invitation for anyone and everyone to come spend time with them, play with them, or take them out for a walk to just clear your head while in the midst of studying for finals. It was such a small thing but truly made the biggest difference in my mental health during that stressful time.” -Virginia
“In 2019 I got to adopt a puppy, Percy. He’s a German Shepard and is such a little goober. He’s the friendliest dog and he can play for hours without ever getting tired. I love going on hikes with him, it makes the experience that much more enriching and enjoyable. He’s a big nature boy so I try to take him on runs and hikes as often as possible. Now that I’m in New York for school, I don’t get to see Percy as often as I would like to but I know he’s having a blast at home going on lots of hikes with my mom.” -Mali
“I have two dogs at home. Mischief is 12 and is such a princess, Merlin is 11 and is the sassiest little boy in the whole world. I recently brought Merlin up to stay with us in Blacksburg and he is having the time of his life. Even though he’s pretty old, he acts like the biggest baby ever. He has so much energy and is always so silly. We love taking him to parks and fields around here. We just recently took Merlin up to this park that has lots of fields for him to run around and chase his tennis ball.” -Sophie
“I have two cats, Mino and Jojo. They are such sweet cats and are the biggest cuddle bugs. Mino recently just had a litter of kittens and they are the sweetest little things in the whole world. We are finding wonderful homes for all of them. My cats are basically my children, I love them so so much and it’s so nice being able to wake up to their sweet kisses every morning.” -Aya
There is less data about how wildlife viewing and encounters (from a distance!) increase well-being, but we know from our own community that they do. Data collection, analysis, and recommendations in this area are a priority for OneNature. Here is a sampling of stories we received.
“In Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico, I got to be up-close and personal with the grey whale mothers and calves. Normally, it’s not a good idea to attempt to engage closely with a wild animal, but the whales in LSI are unique in that regard. When small boats go into the lagoon, mother whales and their calves will approach the boats of their own accord. Tourists do not feed them or do anything to lure them closer. So why do these whales choose to interact with people? That question was stuck in my mind as a whale swam close enough for me to touch. I looked into the eye of this gentle creature and I could sense her intelligence, her sentience, her empathy, and her curiosity. I felt like she blessed me with the privilege of this experience, and I will be forever grateful to her.” -Beth
“I moved to a new neighborhood after a divorce. I loved the new place – it felt like a new beginning. But I was lonely at times, living alone. The home had a huge backyard, fenced and private. The tall trees bordering the backyard were populated with all manner of wildlife – crows, squirrels, and occasionally, a red fox. I would sit outside and watch my wild neighbors interact and it gave me such a feeling of peacefulness to be a part of their world, even if only as a bystander. They knew what they were doing – gathering nuts, chasing one another for play it seemed, and co-existing peacefully. The fox in particular, when she would appear, would stop and look at me, as if to say, ‘How’s it going,’ or ‘Good to see you.’ A cardinal couple showed up one day that reminded me of my family. I didn’t feel alone anymore.” -Mary
“I went on a safari tour in Amboseli National Park and saw so many elephants! I was struck by how the families interacted with each other. In watching them it was just so obvious that elephants are incredibly social creatures. Each individual matters to the other members of the herd, just like in a human community. Elephants need each other in exactly the same way that humans do.” -Beth
“A truly profound experience with wildlife for me was when I visited my grandmother in Sri Lanka and got to see herds of wild elephants. Growing up in a Sri Lankan household, we always had elephant knick-knacks around the house because they’re a big part of our culture. My first time ever seeing an elephant in person was also my first time visiting Sri Lanka. I’m so thankful and happy that I got to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat being free and surrounded by their family instead of alone at a zoo or park. This experience made me feel more connected to my cultural and familial roots.” -Dehara
“On a recent trip to Ocean City, MD, I came across a flock of wild geese marching in a perfect single-file line along a path near the bay. At the end of the line were two juvenile geese who seemed less disciplined than the rest of the group. The two youngsters became distracted and began to wander in a different direction. I watched with interest as two of the older geese, who I assume were the parents of the juveniles, turned around to retrieve their young. Immediately they were confronted by a larger goose who seemed to be leading the flock. This alpha goose was clearly unconcerned about the young troublemakers and asserted his dominance until the two parents got back in line and continued marching. At this point, the parents were careful to stay in line but they kept looking back to see what the young ones were up to. Eventually, the alpha at the front of the group turned a corner. The moment he was out of sight, the mom and dad did a 180 and hurried back to collect their children. As I watched the situation play out, I was so struck by the social structure and communal relationships of these animals. I felt empathy for these parents who were caught between the expectations of their flock and the need to protect their children. That’s a sentient creature if I ever saw one, and undoubtedly worth protecting.” -Sandy
Thank you for sharing your stories, and keep them coming! We would love to make this a regular feature! You can email us at info@onenatureinstitute.org or reach out on any of our social media pages.